Cochabamba climate
Cochabamba (Bolivia) has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C63 °F, and about 498 mm20 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Cochabamba climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2475 | 1253 | 1864 | 1044.1 |
| Feb | 2475 | 1253 | 1864 | 973.8 |
| Mar | 2475 | 1152 | 1864 | 552.2 |
| Apr | 2576 | 1050 | 1763 | 200.8 |
| May | 2577 | 745 | 1661 | 60.2 |
| Jun | 2475 | 642 | 1559 | 441.7 |
| Jul | 2474 | 541 | 1458 | 50.2 |
| Aug | 2576 | 643 | 1560 | 80.3 |
| Sep | 2678 | 847 | 1763 | 120.5 |
| Oct | 2679 | 1151 | 1965 | 251.0 |
| Nov | 2780 | 1253 | 1967 | 361.4 |
| Dec | 2678 | 1254 | 1966 | 863.4 |
| Year | 2780 | 541 | 1763 | 49820 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70% | 76% | 5.7 | 13:04 |
| Feb | 73% | 77% | 5.6 | 12:41 |
| Mar | 71% | 64% | 5.7 | 12:14 |
| Apr | 66% | 45% | 5.6 | 11:43 |
| May | 56% | 31% | 5.4 | 11:19 |
| Jun | 54% | 25% | 5.1 | 11:06 |
| Jul | 52% | 26% | 5.2 | 11:11 |
| Aug | 52% | 27% | 5.7 | 11:32 |
| Sep | 54% | 38% | 5.9 | 12:01 |
| Oct | 56% | 51% | 6.3 | 12:31 |
| Nov | 57% | 58% | 6.6 | 12:57 |
| Dec | 64% | 72% | 6.0 | 13:10 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Cochabamba is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 27 °C80 °F and a low of 12 °C53 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 24 °C74 °F and lows 5 °C41 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 5 °C9 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 498 mm20 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 58% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: April and May and July–September. The wettest month is January (104 mm4.1 in), the driest is July (5 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 52% in August to 73% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 25%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in April to 10 km/h (6 mph) in September. Daylight lasts from about 11.1 hours in June to 13.2 hours in December.
Best time to visit Cochabamba
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are February–December. Average highs then reach 24 °C74 °F to 27 °C80 °F. Precipitation is 5 mm0.2 in to 97 mm3.8 in per month.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Cochabamba
- Wetter months (December–March, June) — highs 2475 to 26 °C78 °F, lows 642 to 12 °C54 °F, about 77 mm3.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Drier months (April and May, July–November) — highs 2474 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 541 to 12 °C53 °F, about 16 mm0.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Cochabamba compares
The nearest larger place is La Paz, about 233 km to the northwest. Compared with it, Cochabamba is on average 8.8 °C15.9 °F warmer. It receives 23% less precipitation (498 mm20 in vs 647 mm25 in). The difference is largest in November (9.4 °C16.9 °F warmer).
World Climates covers 7 places in Bolivia. By annual mean temperature, Cochabamba is the 3rd warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 5th wettest. See all of them on the Bolivia climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall (with seasons shifted for the other hemisphere). The closest matches are Adigrat (Ethiopia, BSk), Mekele (Ethiopia, BSh) and Asmara (Eritrea, BSk).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Sacaba (pop. 180,726) and Quillacollo (pop. 172,405). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Cochabamba, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Climate in Oruro 119 km · 8 °C47 °F · 481 mm19 in
- Climate in Sucre 207 km · 14 °C57 °F · 572 mm23 in
- Climate in La Paz 233 km · 8 °C47 °F · 647 mm25 in
- Climate in Potosí 249 km · 7 °C45 °F · 488 mm19 in
- Climate in Santa Cruz de la Sierra 319 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,139 mm45 in
- Climate in Tacna 439 km · 26 °C79 °F · 48 mm1.9 in
- Climate in Puno 446 km · 10 °C50 °F · 421 mm17 in
- Climate in Arica 455 km · 27 °C80 °F · 26 mm1.0 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Cochabamba?
November is the warmest month in Cochabamba. Its average high is 27 °C (80 °F) and its average low is 12 °C (53 °F).
What is the coldest month in Cochabamba?
July is the coldest month. Its average high is 24 °C (74 °F) and its average low is 5 °C (41 °F).
When does it rain the most in Cochabamba?
January is the wettest month with about 104 mm (4.1 in) of precipitation. July is the driest with about 5 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Cochabamba?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are February–December.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station. So they can differ from airport records. The gaps are largest on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 3,126 m, while Cochabamba lies at about 2,537 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +3.8 °C6.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.